Interview Questions-David Reyes

ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Student Name:
Aaron Lassmann
Printed Name of Person

Interviewed:
Role of Individual:
Period:
7th
Dr. David Reyes

___Mentor
___Other Professional #1
Place of Business:
Wyle
Business Address:
Phone Number:
1290 Hercules Ave.

Houston, TX 77058
(281) 212-1200
Date of Interview:
April 9, 2015
_X_Other Professional #2
Type of Interview: _X_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)
1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
Fantasy: NASA is cutting edge and awesome.
Reality: NASA is stuck in the past and indoctrinated with heavy bureaucracy; still, you get the
opportunity to do a lot of awesome stuff.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
Dr. Reyes has a Bachelors in Geology and a Masters in Public Health, along with an MD. He has
completed both Family Medicine and Aerospace Medicine residencies. Periodically, he has to attend classes and
keep up to date on new medical developments.
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)
Every day is varied.
Call about a crewmember- Needs a medical waiver, so you have to go research it
Ridiculous spreadsheet on Space versus Earth medical standards
Present IMM results
Presenting evidence before various boards
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
Revised Fall 2013
No one is every entirely secure at NASA, but there is a long-term need for NASA. However, contractor
jobs can be lost when contracts change. This does not necessarily affect his lower level position, as he would
probably just be moved on to the new company. Also, there is always a risk of program reduction.
5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
(salary)
Dr. Reyes chose not to quantify, instead explaining that it is significantly lower at NASA than in the real
world. This may change for space medicine with the advent and growth of commercial spaceflight.
6. What potential for growth is there in your field?
(growth potential)
Large growth potential exists within the expanding field of commercial spaceflight. Also, going to the
military is also a possible path for aerospace medicine. There is also the opportunity to move on to become a
member of the astronaut corps.
***Questions 7-10 will be created by the ISM student.
7. What is the best part of your job?
Theres the opportunity to influence whats done and what people think. You also get a large amount of
variety at NASA and get to review many different crazy proposals.
8. What is one part of your job you wish you could change?
The separation between research and operations needs to change; there needs to be a balance between the
two.
9. What motivated you to choose your current career?
Dr. Reyes came across his career in a similar way to my mentor, Dr. Shah. He had studied planetary
geology and was an EMT; he came across the aerospace medicine at UTMB with a Google search. That combined
his two interests, so he went for it.
10. If you could go back, would you choose the same career again?
Yes, Dr. Reyes would choose the same path and career all over again.
Revised Fall 2013
Interview Summary
What information from this interview will you select for your page typed,
bulleted list of research informationto be used in your presentation?
Educationo MD
o Aerospace Medicine Residency
o Continuous training throughout career
Theres huge potential growth with the rapidly emerging commercial space industry with
companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic.
At NASA, theres always something interesting and neat about your job
NASA is behind the times and slow
Bureaucracy weighs down and slows NASA
Every single day is varied; each with its own neat surprises
Salary takes a large cut from working at NASA
Theres a large separation between research and operations
Work at NASA is always at the will of others, who decide on program size
Revised Fall 2013

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ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Printed Name of Person

Dr. David Reyes

1290 Hercules Ave.

Type of Interview: _X_ In Person _ Telephone* _Email*

Revised Fall 2013

Revised Fall 2013

Revised Fall 2013

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